Control device



March 11, 1941. o. P. cRousE CONTROL DEVICE Filed June 21, 1939 INVENTOR His ATTORN Patented Mar. 1,1, 1941 UNITED STA'`E1F94 einen CONTROL DEVICE Application June 21, 1939, Serial No. 280,290

5 Claims.

This invention relates to control devices primarily adapted to the control of carburetors and the like, and more particularly to improved means for maintaining the control rod of such device in an adjusted position.

Control devices of this general type are commonly mounted on the instrument board or dash and a handle conveniently accessible to the operator is employed to effect longitudinal movement of a control rod to actuate an element at a point remote from the handle such as the choke valve of a carburetor.

Although the control rod should normally be freely movable by the operator, it is highly desirable that means be provided for locking the rod in an adjusted position to prevent axial movement due to vibration, shock and the like. This is particularly true when such control devices are used on aircraft where Vibration or landing shock may tend to move the control rod.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to employ locking means with control devices of this type wherein packing friction materials frictionally engage the control rod to prevent movement thereof. However, such prior devices with which I am familiar employ a considerable number of parts resulting in a relatively expensive construction, or the packing material is not of such a nature as to be sufliciently self-retracting upon release of pressure imposed by the locking means employed.

I have devised a control device of the above i general type which is of relatively simple construction, requiring relatively few parts, and

' wherein the wedging means is self-retracting upon release of the locking means.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide an improved control device for carburetors and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide a control device of the above type having improved locking means for maintaining the control rod in an adjusted position.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved control mechanism for carburetors and the like which is relatively simple and economical of construction.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will. become increasingly apparent from a consideration, of the following description and drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of my improved control device;

Fig.` 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the upper portion of a support member I may employ;

Fig. i is a transverse section taken along fi-l of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken along lint 5 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, I have indicated generally at lil a control wire which is encircled for a substantial portion, of its length by a Bowden tube or supporting sheath II. The wire Iii at its outer end is extended beyond the sheath E I and is preferably encased by a sheath l2 formed from a generally metallic tubing and secured to the wire l@ to maintain said portion of wire iii relatively rigid; the outer end being connected l" in any suitable manner to the device to lbe controlled (not shown). The inner or handle end of the wire I0 is connected in any suitable manner to a rod I3 as by projecting the wire end within a recess formed in the outer end of the rod and soldering or otherwise integrally securing the rod and the wire.

Secured to the inner end of the rod I3 which is preferably externally screw threaded as shown, is a generally spherical handle It preferably 20 formed of molded or Bakelite composition, the rod being secured in any suitable manner as by bonding an internally threaded metal tube centrally of the handle and threading the rod thereinto. The rod i3 is preferably square in crosssection and is slideably supported in an element I5 provided with a square bore and an externally threaded portion lli which is preferably interrupted by a non-threaded shoulder I1.

The support element I5 is rigidly secured to the instrument panel or dash by projecting the element through the panel and threading an internally threaded sleeve I8 on the inner end portion of element I5 to enga-ge the inner side of the panel and providing a lockwasher I9 to engage the outer side of the panel; the lock Washer being secured by a nut im. The shoulder Il provided on element I5 limits outward movement of sleeve i8 to dispose element Ill in a desired relation to the instrument panel.

The inner end of element I5 is provided with open-ended slots 2| preferably four in number, to provide four resilient fingers 22 having flat inner faces indicated at 23 and arcuate outer faces 2d, the slots preferably extending to the threaded portion It. I preferably provide a non-circular bore in support element I5 and form rod I3 to prevent rotation of the rod I3 and its associated wire I0, but it is understood that various shaped rods may be used, such as a rod triangular or hexagonal in cross-section.

The inner ends of fingers 22 are conically tapered, as indicated at 25, to engage an internal conical seat 26 formed in a socket element 2l, which is externally threaded to engage the internal threads of the sleeve I8 and is provided with a knurled flange 28 for rotating the socket element. As will be noted by reference to Fig. 2, I preferably form the internal threaded portion of the sleeve I8 engaging the socket element 21 larger in diameter than the threaded portion thereof engaging support element I5 and thus provide a limiting shoulder 29 therebetween.

It will now be apparent that when the rod I3 is moved to a desired position, it may be locked in said position by rotating the socket element 2'I and effect axial outward movement thereof to cause the seat 26 thereof to engage and tend to ride over the fingers 22, theneby forcing the fingers radially inwardly to frictionally clamp rod I3 therebetween and prevent accidental movement of the rod. It will also be apparent that the frictional effect can be controlled dependent upon the rotational effort applied to the socket element 2l whereby accidental movement of the rod because of vibration of the mechanism or the like may be prevented while permitting rod movement by manual force applied to the handle I4 or that the rod may be substantially locked against movement by manual force applied to the handle.

Upon rotating the socket element 2'I out of engagement with the fingers 22, the inherent resiliency of the fingers will cause them toy move radially outwardly out of engagement with rod I 3 and this self-retracting movement insures that no accidental wedging will occur to impair free movement of the rod. In assembling the device, the wire I Il and rod I3 may be projected through support element I5 and its associated parts and the wire III through the Bowden tube II and thence into a tube 3l) with sheath I2 extended beyond tube 30. The inner end of the Bowden tube I I is adapted to be received Within the bore of the support element I5 and the outer end thereof is adapted to be received within an enlarged recess provided in said tube 30, as indicated at SI. Tube 30 will be supported in any suitable manner adjacent the device to be controlled and thus Bowden tube II will be maintained in assembled relation with support element I5 and tube 3D. The sheath I2 which encases the outer end of wire I0 is preferably of sufficient length to ensure that no exposed portion of the wire I0 will extend beyond the tube 35, within the range of movement of the control device, and thus any tendency for the outervend of wire Ill to kink or bend will be eliminated.

It will now be understood that I have provided a control device which is relatively simple of construction and assembly and that the provision of clamping means cpmprising an integral part of the support element results in a minimum number of parts.

Although I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that numerous and extensive departures may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a control device, the combination of a tubular support having a plural-ity of resilient projections with beveled outer faces adjacent one end thereof and an angular shaped bore, a control rod having iiat faces and being longitudinally movable insaid bore but non-rotative relative thereto, a socket element movable with respect to and having a bore which loosely receives said rod and a beveled portion, the beveled portion of said socket element being adapted to engage the beveled portion of the resilient projections and force them radially inwardly against the sides of said rod to restrict or prevent longitudinal movement of said rod with respect to said support when said socket element is moved in one direction upon said control rod.

2.l In a control device, the combination of a tubular support having a plurality of resilient projections, a control rod longitudinally movable in the bore of said support, a sleeve having a portion mounted on said support and a portion spaced from said projections, and a socket element movable with respect to and having a bore which loosely receives said rod, said socket element having a portion which is adapted to eX- tend between said sleeve and said support and engage said projections when the socket element is moved in one direction on said rod, the engaging portions of said socket element and said projections being shaped to cause said socket element to radially move said projections against said rod during movement of the socket element in one direction, thereby restricting or preventing longitudinal movement of said rod with respect to said support.

3. In a control device, the combination of an exteriorly threaded tubular support having a plurality of resilient projections with beveled outer surfaces at one end thereof, a contro1 rod longitudinally movable in the bore of said support, a sleeve having a portion threaded to Said support and an interiorly threaded portion spaced from said projections, and an exteriorly threaded socket element rotatably mounted on said sleeve and having a beveled portion which is adapted to engage the beveled portion of said projection and force them radially inwardly into engagement with said rod to restrict or prevent longitudinal movement of said rod relative to said support when the socket element is rotatably threaded upon said sleeve.

4. In a control device, the combination of an exteriorly threaded tubular support having a plurality of resilient projections With beveled outer surfaces at one end thereof and an angular shaped bore, a control rod having iiat faces and being longitudinally movable in said bore but non-rotative relative thereto a sleeve having a portion threaded to said support and a threaded portion spaced from said projections, and an externally threaded socket element rotatably threaded onv said sleeve and having a beveled portion, the beveled portion of said socket element being adapted to engage the beveled portion of the resilient projections and force them radially inwardly against the sides of said rod to restrict or prevent longitudinal movement of said rod with respect to said support when said socket element is rotated in one direction on said sleeve.

5. In a control device, the combination of an instrument panel having an aperture therein, a tubular support arranged in said aperture having a shoulder with an inner surface flush With the interior of said panel, an exteriorly threaded portion and a plurality of resilient projectionsI extending inwardly of said panel, a control rod longitudinally movable in said support, a sleeve having a portion threaded to the exteriorly threaded portion of said support, a portion spaced from said projections and a base portion resting partially upon said shoulder and par-y tially against the interior of said panel, a socket element movable with respect to and having a bore which loosely receives said rod, said socket element having a portion which is adapted t0 10 extend between said sleeve and support and engage said projections when the socket element is moved in one direction on said rod, the engaging portions of said socket element and said projec: tions being shaped to cause said socket element to impart radial inward movement of said projections against said rod during movement of the socket element, thereby restricting or preventing longitudinal movement of said rod With respect to said support.

OLIVER P. CROUSE. 

